Dealing with extreme heat and humidity can be challenging. While you try to stay cool, energy use can increase for many homes during this heatwave, which can put a significant strain on the electrical grid. Indiana Michigan Power's (I&M) Power Rewards can relieve some of this strain while also offering savings incentives for customers.

When there is a need to balance the demand on the power grid, how do we encourage customers to reduce or shift energy usage out of peak hours? I&M may issue an alert for a "Peak Energy Event" to customers who have voluntarily chosen to participate in one of our Power Rewards programs. Customers who have opted into this voluntary program will be asked to reduce their energy use during this designated time, commonly 4 – 6 p.m. Taking such actions are voluntary and not required for customers, but multiple options are available for those who are interested.

Power Rewards: termostato inteligente

For customers with a smart thermostat, this option offers a bill credit to reduce energy use when demand is high. When a peak energy event is declared, I&M will manage the participants' thermostat through the entire event. An hour before the event begins, the home is pre-cooled to a temperature below the home's normal setting. Once the event does begin, the unit's fan will continuously run to circulate air through the home. As time goes on, the home may approach its ceiling temperature, or four degrees higher than the setting at the start of the event. If this is reached, the air conditioning will be turned back on to avoid going above that ceiling temperature. To earn bill credits, customers must participate in 50% of the event, meaning if the event is declared for three hours, they must complete an hour and a half of these efforts.

Power Rewards: iControl

This program puts the customer in control when a peak energy event is called. Customers with a smart meter will reduce their energy use on their own during an event and receive a $1 credit for every kilowatt hour (kWh) they reduce below their baseline. How much of a credit earned is determined by the participation effort. For example, if your baseline is 16 kWh and during a peak energy event you reduce your energy to 12 kWh, based upon a $1 per kWh, you would earn $4 for that single event.

Power Rewards: Home AC

Customers who are unable to purchase a smart thermostat or have limited access to Wi-Fi, can enroll in Home AC. I&M will work to schedule the installation of the small control device on your outside air conditioning unit - at no charge. During an event, we will signal for your air conditioning compressor to cycle to help reduce the high energy demand on the grid. Your central air conditoner fan will continue to circulate air throughout your home. When the event is over, we will send a signal to your air conditioner to return the temperature to your normal setting and schedule. In addition to the $50 enrollment incentive, customers can earn $2.40 in Indiana and $1.95 in Michigan for every event in which they participate.

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Your actions to conserve energy during peak hours can be impactful. I&M es parte de una red de energía regional más grande que es supervisada y monitoreada por una organización llamada PJM Interconnection. PJM monitors how much power is being generated by I&M and other energy providers throughout its area, covering 13-states and the District of Columbia. When there are prolonged periods of extreme heat, stress can be added to the electric system, causing challenges, which is why PJM closely monitors the situation and communicates with impacted utilities. This may lead to I&M's Peak Energy Events, where customers voluntarily conserve energy, reducing the demand on the system.

For more information on I&M’s Power Rewards Programs and additional energy-saving tips, visit www.ElectricIdeas.com.